Mary Rakow Book Editing -

Mary has been editing my short fiction work since 2012. She is truly marvelous. She helped me find and hone my voice, and she guided me toward connection, empathy and complexity in my writing. With her guidance, I've found a place in the literary community where I feel I belong--she has helped nurture what has become such a wonderful and necessary part of my existence. I think I would have given up on this creative life long ago if I hadn't met her--I owe her so much gratitude.

Mary Rakow is a very skilled editor, definitely one of the best. She edited 300 pages of my YA fantasy manuscript, which I had worked on for 20 years. She made it even better, stronger, and true to the story I wished to tell. This year, Mary also helped me develop my convent memoir. Her insights helped me to find the heart of my story as well as helping me personally. She is insightful, dependable, and kind. I highly recommend working with her for any type of writing endeavor!

There may not be sufficient words, but I'll try to find them for Mary Rakow. She has helped me tremendously as a writer, as a thinker, and as someone who appreciates creativity. She is an exceptional editor, in both skill and scope and her editing feels like genuine care for the project at hand. She takes her work so seriously, treats a manuscript with such respect. I am in awe of her work and the editing advice she gave me changed me and I will always return to her with future projects. She's brilliant and trustworthy with your work.

I highly recommend Mary Rakow! She is a top-notch editor and a delightful woman. Mary edited my manuscript that turned into a book and held my hand every step of the way. Not only did her edits and suggestions make my writing stronger, she was supportive of my process and pulled me from the depths of self doubt on numerous occasions. With Mary in my corner, I was able to complete my project on time and with my sanity intact.

When it comes to editing, it can be scary to lose your own voice after all of the exquisite edits by a true master. But you know you found one when the edits leave you inspired to write better and strive for excellence in words. Mary’s workshop is where you practice a lifelong craft of transcribing your thoughts, feelings, and stories into literary artworks. I anticipated that Mary would be a thoughtful and eloquent editor — AND writer —just by looking at her website. Once I found myself in the same room wiith her, I knew I found a mentor who would inspire excellence and bring out of me the story - put in Mary’s words - “only I can write”.

I met Mary through another writer and had the best experience with her as editor of my manuscript. She worked painstakingly on it, was full of encouragement and real, constructive advice and edits. She basically nurtured my writing along. I highly recommend her services.

Mary edited my memoir full text of 322 pages. She made valuable and thoughtful suggestions for structure, narrative arc, character strength and development, paragraph impact, sentence clarity and power, grammar and syntax. In addition to hand written notes on every page of my manuscript, she wrote 8 pages of comments on my work, including suggestions for narrative form. Along the way, she identified strengths, appreciated aesthetic beauty and encouraged me to continue with the hard work. She help me appreciate the power of less, the beauty of uncrowded pages, and, as Mozart may have said, "The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." Miles Davis said it his way, "Don't play what is there, play want is not there." Mary is in good company.

Mary Rakow stalks the genius, as a spirit of place, where you and your soul’s true note meet — and meet the world. She shapes your work — to that — a wholly unique gift to the world. No one will help you true your voice, your story as cleanly, clearly, with grace, humor, faith and humility, like Mary.